Years of Our Lives
by Wolf Aerith
Summary: Katara and the gang are about to graduate from their junior year of high school, but Katara's hoping to get together with the shy boy on her bus-Zuko. Jett's gang won't allow this hookup to be a peaceful one! Zutara/Taang
1. Chapter 1 Early Morning

**Chapter One- Early Morning**

Katara stretched and slammed her alarm clock, rolling sleepily out of bed at 5:00, Monday morning, on the final week of school. She stumbled to the bathroom and flipped on the lights, squeezing her eyes shut at first, but opening them to the brightness as her eyes adjusted. She turned on the shower and laid out her clothes, then got undressed and hopped in. A few moments later she heard her brother, Sokka, stumble in and brush his teeth, wash his face and shaving. She waited for him to leave, and then she got out of the shower, wrapping her hair and body in towels. After she'd stopped dripping, she got dressed and brushed through her hair, and then looked at her reflection in the mirror, and putting on some light eyeliner and eye shadow. After she was satisfied, she went back into her room, grabbed her i-pod, headphones and her backpack, and headed downstairs.

When she arrived , her brother was asleep at the kitchen table, and her father smiled tiredly at her from the morning newspaper, sipping coffee from a mug she'd made for him in kindergarten.

"Good morning, Katara." He said.

"Morning, dad. Meeting today?"

"Yes…these people are going to kill me, making me get up with you kids…" She smiled and grabbed a couple cereal bars from the cupboard, stuffing them into her backpack.

"See you when we get home, dad." She said, kissing him on the forehead and pulling a half-conscious Sokka along with her out the door.

At the bus stop, they met up with Aang and Toph, quarreling, as always.

"I'm telling you- it's the last week of our junior year, we may have over the summer homework or something, but we won't do anything but lounge around and watch movies! Seriously, you have no reason to bring all of your stuff!" Toph said, waving a small bag, containing the few items she'd deemed necessary for the school day. Aang frowned.

"Always be prepared, Toph. You never know what the universe will throw at you." Toph rolled her eyes.

"Come on twinkle-toes! LAST WEEK! Is it registering? Do you get it yet? We won't need all that stuff, I'm telling you!" Toph yelled in his general direction. Aang sighed.

"Follow your own path, Toph, but I think that you'll regret it when we get something you'll need your stuff for." Toph rolled her eyes.

"You need to go back to the mountains. Seriously, Aang. People stare."

"Let them." He said, with a small smile as he took her hand and the bus came down the street toward them.

They headed down the isle to the back of the bus, and Toph sat by Aang in the third row up from the back. Katara sat across from them while Sokka sat by his girlfriend, Suki, still half asleep, but smiling at her good-morning kiss. At the next stop, a tall silent figure slowly walked down the isle, hood up, and his hair across his eye, and you could hear the music from his headphones. Katara caught his flash of a smile when their eyes met, but it was gone in a millisecond, and he was in the back, alone with his music. She sighed, shifting her bag onto her shoulder as they all shuffled down the isle when the bus pulled up to the high school. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the moon was bright enough to where you could see, and as she approached the main building, she saw the leaves rustle, and the stars peek through the bows of the trees. She smiled to herself as the other busses started arriving.

Katara went down to her first class to drop off her stuff, when she ran into a young man with messy hair, followed by a larger boy and a scrawny little one.

"Hey there, Katara! It's great to see you." the one with the messy hair said cheerily, and his companions purposefully walked away when he waved his hand.

"Hello, Jett. Good to see you too." She said, not slowing down.

"How've you been?" he asked.

"Pretty good." She said, opening the door to her classroom and stepping inside. Jett stood at the doorway, still talking to her as she placed her stuff at her desk and put her hoodie on.

"Great weather, eh? Every one'll be at the park today." Katara nodded, walking toward the next hallway over.

"Sorry, Jett, but I have to go to the restroom. Catch ya later." She said ducking into the bathroom. After she was satisfied he was gone, she headed back up to one of the secondary buildings on campus, the only one with two levels. She walked up the staircase onto the landing where everyone always hung out before school started.

Toph smiled.

"Is that the elusive Katara I hear? What took you so long?" Katara smiled.

"How you memorized the sounds of my walking and breathing I will never understand." She said, grinning. "I was intercepted by Jett." Sokka stopped kissing Suki and frowned.

"That creeper still after you?" he said, sounding slightly annoyed. Katara sighed.

"Don't call him a creeper, Sokka…" she said but he frowned even more.

"You know he used you! You want him to leave you alone! Just tell him!" Sokka said.

"I know…" Katara said, hesitantly.

"He says he's changed, you know, Kat." Aang said.

"But I still can't forgive him, Aang. I know he may have changed, but every time I look at him, I see the guy who used me. But every time I tell him no, he just gets more determined! He just won't take no for an answer…" she glanced at her watch- only a few minutes before the bell rang. "I gotta split, you guys. See you later."

"I'll come with you." Toph volunteered, grabbing her small bag and following along.

"Hey, I need to stop off at my locker for a second."

"It's cool." Toph said, following with a hand on Katara's back. "I just don't understand why Jett doesn't leave you alone. It really pisses me off- he knows you don't like him like that." Toph said as Katara opened and

"I don't either, and I know he won't leave me alone all summer…" Katara replied, but her voice faded as the young man from the bus approached.

"H…hi Katara. Hello, Toph." He said, almost uncertainly. Toph tensed up, but Katara mustered up a small "Hello, Zuko."

"Umm, I was…I just… you look nice today." He said, and then walked off, almost embarrassedly. Toph's jaw dropped.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Toph almost yelled, and a few kids looked at her. "Lemme get this straight. Was Zuko just nice to you? Zuko? The one who hated all of us? And you were nice to him? And…oh my gosh this is…this is like twilight zone weird!"

"Toph…" Katara said.

"No way! And both of your heart rates were through the roof and-" Toph stopped suddenly, and a sly grin crossed her face. "You like him. And he likes you."

"What? Toph, no way…." Katara protested, but she was feeling weak at the knees, her heart was still fluttering.

"You do! Oh my god! This is awesome! Your brother's gonna kill you! And Aang…This is crazy!" She squealed in glee, and Katara put her hand over Toph's mouth.

"You don't understand! Not only would my brother kill me, but Jett and his gang have scared off any guy I've gotten close to since we split up! This isn't something to shout out!" Toph stayed silent for a moment, thinking. She pulled Katara's hand off her mouth.

"Alright. You have a point. This'll be our secret, I suppose. But being the great matchmaker I am, having paired up everyone but you in our gang, I resolve to force you two to get closer." She said, smiling as schemes popped into her head. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Toph, if you were a matchmaker-" Katara started, but Toph cut her off.

"The world's population rates would be WAY up. I know. That's why I try to stick to my friends." Katara laughed.

"See you later." She said when Toph arrived at her class and they went their separate ways.


	2. Chapter 2 Assignment

**Chapter Two- The Assignment**

Art class was Katara's fifth period, and the class she went to lunch with. She also had Zuko in that class. Today they were assigned to make a likeness of a partner, and she was partnered with him. It was a weeklong project, but she still felt the butterflies in her stomach as he walked over to the table and set his backpack on the ground, taking the seat directly across from her.

"H-hello." He said, looking down. Katara blushed.

"Hi." The teacher clapped his hands.

"Get started! Any form you want, express yourself!" he shouted, and Katara sighed. How could she possibly express what she felt towards this amazing boy? Zuko opened his backpack, pulling out a well-used sketchbook and a pencil. He set right to work, glancing up at Katara through his hair every once in a while. Katara got out hers, too, although she didn't use it often. Art for her was usually photography, but how could she possibly ask to take his picture, to pose him, capture the mood…

It was impossible. After sketching for about thirty minutes, the lunch bell rang, and the students filed out into the hallway, heading for the lunchroom.

"Do…do you wanna sit with me? Y'know, to discuss our projects?" Zuko asked, and Katara nodded, smiling to herself.

They reached the table, where Zuko set down his bag, reserving himself a seat, and Katara sat down in the next chair.

"Aren't you gonna buy something to eat?" Zuko asked.

"I gave my brother my lunch money. He forgot his." Katara replied.

"Oh." Zuko said, hesitating, then turning and leaving into the cafeteria. Katara sighed. This project was due on the last day of school, and she would have to think of a pose, and get the guts to ask him to pose for her.

When he returned, he set down a sandwich in front of her. She blushed.

"Oh, you didn't have to-"

"Take it, I can't stand when people skip meals for the sake of others. It just seems unfair." He said, not looking at her as he set his down, along with a coke.

"Thanks." She said, looking down, face a deep red. After a few minutes of silence he asked her,

"What are you going to do for your project?" She looked up, swallowing.

"Well I…I do some photography…" she started, and he nodded.

"We can get together tomorrow after school and work on our projects. Is that cool with you?"

"Um, I'll ask my father, okay?" He smiled.

"Sure thing. Want some soda?" he asked, a hint of pink in his cheeks as he slid the coke over to her.

"Oh…thanks, Zuko." She said, smiling. Her hand brushed his as she took the bottle, taking a sip. They both looked down. Suddenly a harsh voice rang out from behind them.

"So, Katara, who's this?" Jett asked, looking Zuko over in contempt.

"This is my friend Zuko. Zuko…this is Jett." She said, worry, flashing in her eyes. He caught the look and turned to Jett.

"We're partners in our art class." He said, his voice flat and even.

"Ah, art. A fine subject- I've got it third hour. Wanna come down to the park today Katara? We could work there."

"No thanks, Jett." she said, and the lunch bell rang. She and Zuko must've been thinking the same thing, because he grabbed the soda, and they bolted out. He grabbed her and pulled her around a corner, Jett's cronies in hot pursuit.


	3. Chapter 3 Painting

**Chapter Three- Painting**

They whirled around the next corner and Zuko pulled her into a corridor. As they passed a janitor's cart outside the bathroom, Zuko pushed over a bucket of soapy water and they kept running, not stopping when they heard a crash in the hall and a few choice swear words howled from behind them.

"In here!" Zuko said, pulling her into one of the janitor's closets and cracking the door. She gripped his hand, heart pounding, while one of them ran by, but the other, slightly wet stopped in front of the closet.

"Which way'd they go?" he asked and the other shrugged. For a few heart-stopping moments they stood, and then ran off. Zuko sighed his relief, and Katara put her hand on her chest, breathing out, and heart still pounding. He turned to Katara.

"You okay?" she nodded.

"Sorry about them…it's just that Jett…"she looked down.

"Hey- it's cool. I understand." He said, smiling.

"Thanks." she said, looking at him. Their eyes met. Katara blushed, Zuko leaned in, and the bell rang. They both jumped.

"We'd better, y'know get back to class." He said, looking away, and Katara nodded. They stepped out when nobody was looking and headed to class silently. The rest of class, Katara sat still for Zuko while he sketched her face silently, and she thought about what he'd be doing when she took that picture.

Smiling? Or perhaps he'd be sporting that distant frown he had when he was in class. Standing? Sitting?

The bell rang, and as they packed, he asked her,

"You wanna come over today? To plan our projects- mine will take some time, so we'll need to plan…" she blushed. "Um, I'll call my Dad and ask, and I'll tell you on the bus, okay?"

"Sure thing." He said, swinging his bag over his shoulder and walking her out the door. "See you later, Katara." He said, and she smiled.

"Bye, Zuko." She said, grinning, as she walked away, neither knowing how much the other loved hearing their name come from the other's lips.

"Hell, Dad? This is Katara."

She said into her cell phone, walking from math to science.

"Hey sweetie, what do you need?" He asked.

"Um, I have this project for art, and I need to go over to my partner's house to work on it."

"Sure hon. where's she live?" He asked.

"Um, he lives in our neighborhood…"

"Sweetheart."

"He's a real nice guy…"

"Katara."

"And a fantastic painter…"

"Katara you know I don't like you going over to boy's houses!"

"Dad, please! How irresponsible do you think I am? I've never gotten in trouble in my life, Straight A's all the way through grade school, and I'm seventeen!" She heard her father sigh.

"Fine. I trust you honey. Besides, I suppose the men are falling all over themselves for you, and it's about time you found a good one…"

"Dad…"She said, blushing.

"But if anything does happen, I'll still love you, sweetie…"

"Dad."

"Just be smart and use protect-"

"DAD. It's an art project. Seriously." He chuckled.

"Just call me while you're there." He said.

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too."

"So what was that all about?" Toph asked from behind Katara, who jumped.

"Jeez, Toph, stop sneaking into my conversations. I was just talking to my Dad."

"About sex? So here's all you need to know: When a man loves a woman-"

"Oh shut up PLEASE. I'm going over to Zuko's later." She said, then cringed, as if expecting Toph to explode or something.

"Wahoo! You're rounding the bases pretty quick, all star!" She said grinning. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Just don't tell Sokka. He hates me going over to guy's places ever since the Jett incident." Toph nodded, and the warning bell rang.

"See ya 'round, space cadet!" She said, and they both ran off to class.

On the way out to the busses, Katara ran into Jett again.

"So, how about going to the park later on today?" he asked, smiling as if nothing had happened earlier today. Katara jumped.

"Sorry, I've got plans." She said, trying to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

"With who?" he asked. She pulled her arm away from him, breaking free of his grip.

"None of your business, Jett." She said and then she felt someone take her by the hand, pulling her away, and she walked, turning to find Zuko, hood up, hiding his face, not looking at her, blending into the crowd. They sat together on the bus, to the acute amazement of all of her friends. She could hear Sokka arguing with Suki and Toph behind her, but she ignored them for the moment.

"Are you okay? You could tell the principal about Jett, you know." Zuko said, and Katara sighed.

"Don't worry about him. He's all hot air." She said, blushing. Zuko shrugged.

"As long as that's all."

They left the bus together, despite angry protests from Sokka from the back of the bus. They walked down the street quietly. Katara sat on the couch while Zuko went into his room to get his paints and canvas, and to set up the tripod. He told he how to pose, and the house fell silent. "Do you mind if I put on some music? The silence is making it super awkward." Zuko said, and Katara smiled.

"Go for it."

So the painting resumed. Once Zuko had gotten the main pose down, he let her move while they took a break. He went into the kitchen and returned with two glasses of lemonade, sitting down on the couch next to her.

"So is this way too boring for you, because we can quit for now and do this again tomorrow, because next are clothes and finally surroundings." Katara wanted to change her clothes to something better, but she didn't want to leave.

"Whatever you want." she said, smiling and sipping her lemonade. Use Somebody by Kings of Leon came on, and Katara grinned at Zuko.

"I love this song!" He smiled.

"It's one of my favorites." Suddenly, they were kissing. It seemed like time had leaped to that moment and now it slowed down, music the only other thing in the room. Zuko's arms slid around Katara's waist, and hers around his neck.

"So," he said in between kisses, "We'll finish tomorrow?" She giggled and pulled him closer.

"Definitely." Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Zuko got up, leaving Katara to smoothed her hair out and rummage around in her backpack. She pulled out her camera and snapped a picture of Zuko looking through the peephole to see who it was.

"Umm, were you supposed to leave earlier?" He asked her.

"No, my dad would've called me."

"Oh, because I'm pretty sure it's your brother." He said, opening the door.

Katara could've died. Sokka stepped inside.

"Katara! What are you doing here?!" He said angrily, spotting her.

"Homework. Dad gave me the O.K." she responded coolly, blushing deeply, heart pounding.

"Well, whatever. We're going home, now." Sokka said, marching over and picking up her stuff.

"Sokka-" she started, but Zuko interrupted her.

"She has every right to be here!" he exclaimed, walking over, leaving the door open.

"You! You have no idea, and as her brother, I get a say in this. Now come on, Katara. We're leaving."

"She's a young woman, she can make her own decisions!" Zuko shot back.

"Sokka, really, can't we talk this out?" Katara pleaded.

"No, Katara, not after last time! Not after-"

"Me?" a new voice cut in and everyone turned to see Jett and his cronies standing in the threshold, smiling.

Katara almost passed out.


	4. Chapter 4 Kidnap

**Chapter Four- Kidnap**

Sokka whirled around.

"What the hell are you doing here you-"

"Now, now Sokka, watch your language." Jett cut in. "We're here for that freak, not your lovely sister." He said, pointing at Katara, who was cowering on the couch.

"Jett, really, this isn't-" she started, but he cut her off.

"Necessary? Hah. Of course it is. Maybe after we beat some sense into this punk, you'll see the only one you need to hang out with is me."

"You're insane." Zuko said. Jett laughed.

"Please. The insane one is you, you little freak. Even after all our threats you still went after her. Did you really think we were gonna let you get away with it?" Zuko stood his ground.

"Get out of my house, and leave us alone!" Jett took a step forward and threw a punch. Zuko's reaction was instantaneous, and he grabbed Jett's arm and flipped him on to the floor. Jett's two cronies immediately came after Zuko. The big one rushed him, and Zuko slid his legs across the floor, sweeping the guy's feet from underneath him, and he immediately fell to the floor. The small one came after him now, kicking at his face. Zuko tried to grab his leg but got the wind knocked out of him for being too slow. To the surprise of both boys, Sokka launched himself into the smaller guy, tackling him to the ground.

"Get off him, or I swear to god I'll put a hole in your sister." Jett's cold voice came from behind him, and they turned to find Jett with a pistol to Katara's head. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she was shaking uncontrollably.

"Jett…this is getting out of hand…" Zuko said, slowly, putting his hands up. Sokka stood up and did the same.

"No, _you're_getting out of hand! Boys, tie 'em up, and make sure to close the blinds. We'll be out of here by the time someone finds them." He grabbed Katara roughly by the arm, jerking her off the couch. "You," He said, dragging her with him towards the door, "are coming with me!" She cried, but didn't resist, for the sake of Sokka and Zuko.

Twenty minutes later, Sokka and Zuko were tied to chairs in the middle of the living room. Both boys had bruises and Sokka had a black eye, but Zuko looked a lot worse.

They were gagged, so there was nothing but the silence. Suddenly, the front door opened to reveal Zuko's Uncle, Iroh, carrying two large bags of groceries, which he promptly dropped upon seeing the two tied and gagged.

"Dear God!" he cried, rushing to untie them. Naturally, he untied Zuko first, leaving him to un-gag himself as he furiously undid Sokka's ties.

"I have to go rescue Katara!" Zuko gasped as soon as he was able to get his gag off, and Sokka nodded furiously. Iroh turned to him as soon as Sokka was free.

"Nephew, you are in no condition to be going anywhere, much less rescue someone!"

"You don't understand! My sister has been kidnapped by her psycho ex boyfriend and he has a gun!" Sokka gasped, and Zuko nodded.

"Shouldn't you let the police handle this?" Iroh asked, and Zuko stamped his foot impatiently.

"There's no time! You call them, I've got to go get her!" With that, he grabbed the keys of he counter, and he and Sokka jumped into Iroh's mustang. He turned to Sokka and held his hand out.

"Truce?" he asked, and Sokka shook his hand hastily.

"Truce." They sped down the street, going to Jett's hangout and ignoring speed limits.


	5. Chapter5Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

Chapter Five- Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

Katara was mercilessly flung out of the car and dragged along as Jett entered the abandoned zoo. She grimaced; everyone knew this was where Jett's gang was centered, but not many dared to go here. Homeless kids, dropouts, druggies and more haunted this place, ruled by Jett, who, in turn for their loyalty, granted them refuge. Jett dragged Katara right to his place in the old lion sanctuary.

It had been converted to a more private place, the windows that people used to leer through were now boarded up, but the door was still a made of heavy steel bars. It was furnished sparsely, a bed and a chest of drawers that contained all of Jett's possessions. He had closed the steel bars behind them, and was hanging his jacket on a nail driven into the fake rock wall of the old lion den. Katara shivered.

"Cold?" he asked her, not looking over. She said nothing, freezing. It was a cold night outside, and the zoo had not been heated for years. Jett walked over to a large oil drum that was sitting in the corner and threw a match in. A fire roared out, flooding the room with a strangely eerie dancing light, and a meager warmth. He smiled devilishly at her.

She was starting to panic; she needed to escape, but all she could do was stand by the big, metal bars, caged. He put his hand on her cheek. "How can one so beautiful be so naïve?"

She turned her face, pushing him away as he tried to kiss her.

_This isn't happening. I will not allow this to happen! Not again! _Katara screamed in her mind, but he'd grabbed her wrists and was pushing her up against the cold metal, kissing her sloppily. Katara felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'm going to have you right now, Katara." He whispered into her ear. "I'll have you up against these bars like some kind of animal, and you can't do anything."

For a moment, in between Jett's malicious voice and the cold, rusty steel bars, Katara saw Zuko's shy smile, and, for some reason, decided that she would be O.K. with asking him to pose for her photography next time they met.

And then he came running down the hall with her brother with thirty of Jett's cronies following them and Jett hissed an angry "No!" It didn't even matter if she died right then, because she was so amazingly happy to see him. And so she cried.

Cried as they opened the barred gateway into the lion's sanctuary.

Cried as Jett threw her to the ground.

Cried as she passed out.

Cried when she woke up in the backseat of her boyfriend's uncle's car, with her head in her brother's lap and Zuko speeding twenty miles over the speed limit to get her to the hospital.

Cried when they told her she'd be there for three days with a concussion and fractured ribs.

Cried when her father rushed in, still in his suit from work.

Cried when she woke up the next day to find the faces of all her friends and her boyfriend holding her hand.

Cried when she snapped a billion pictures from the bed, and on the ride home.

And when it was time for goodbye, Katara found herself out of tears.

Instead, she just laughed, and hugged Zuko, in front of everyone, then kissed him straight on the lips.

In bed, later that night, there was a tapping at the window. Katara looked up and almost screamed to see the smaller one of Jett's two cronies, peering in at her with worried eyes.


	6. Chapter 6 A Dangerous Proposition

Chapter 6- A Dangerous Proposition

"You gotta help us!" He yelled through the window. Katara didn't move, struck with fear. "Please!" He pleaded, and suddenly it became clear to her he wasn't trying to trick her; his face was streaked with dirt and the path of tears was clear on his face. He was shaking and she could hear more tears on the way when his voice cracked as he repeated his pleas until she opened the window.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly, keeping her distance and not removing her hand from the window, just in case.

"Jett's hurt! You're a healer, fix him!"

"Well, yeah, I want to become a nurse, but that doesn't mean I can-" the kid started crying, and Katara sighed. "Gimme five minutes."

"Ungh-hello?" Zuko moaned. Katara felt so bad for waking him up, but she was _not_ going back to the zoo alone.

"Hey, it's me."

"Did something happen, are you okay?" She heard covers rustle over the phone as he sat up.

"I need you to come over to my place, will you?"

"Right now? What's up?"

"I'll explain on the way, just turn your lights off when you're close so you don't wake dad up."

"No problem. I'll see you in a few." Katara threw on some jeans and a tee-shirt, grabbed the first aid-kit that was supposed to be for health education, pulled her hoodie on and jumped out her window in her black combat boots.

The little boy stood, shivering in her driveway.

"You're gonna go fix Jett now, right?" Katara looked at him. She had no idea how bad he was injured, where he was, how long he'd been that way…

"Yes." She replied steadily, avoiding his eyes. To tell him otherwise would cause him to break down, and Katara couldn't deal with that right now. She was having serious second thoughts about returning to the zoo in itself, but to help Jett? She rubbed her face with her hands.

What am I doing? I should be getting a restraining order, not helping that maniac…

Zuko pulled up in his Uncle's car and jumped out. Katara hugged him.

"We need to go back to the zoo."

"Not a chance." Zuko replied, shaking his head. "You're never going back there." The little boy took a step forward.

"Jett's dying, and she's gonna fix him, so please take her there!" Zuko stared at him. How could a high schooler who not only four days ago chased him through the hallways and forced him to hide in janitorial closet suddenly be so weak as to come, literally crying to him? He sighed and jumped into the car.

"Fine, but I'll take her so far away you'll never see her again if you try anything."

They set off down the road, towards the old abandoned zoo and Katara watched the lights fly by, like the days had lately. And, in the distance, she could see the smoke from the oil-drum fires of the zoo, and closed her eyes, heart pounding with fear.


End file.
